Various types of devices for treatment of a person's musculature, joints or spinal system are known. Some of those devices take the form of back braces for straightening the spinal column. Others are for applying pressure in order to create a heating or massaging type of effect. Some such devices are mechanized so as to apply a vibratory pressure or active heating. Others apply pressure passively.
It is known that massaging or using devices applied externally to the body can impart pressure and otherwise have a soothing and/or pain relief effect. One typical pressure application device is illustrated in German Disclosure No. 2,128,410. Such a device provides a backbone to which discreet brackets are mounted. Each of the brackets has two support surfaces for applying pressure or support to the back of the person wearing the device. Such devices suffer disadvantages of being rigid and thereby failing to contour to the shape of the body of the wearer. Furthermore, they typically lack flexibility for easily increasing or decreasing the size of the area for application of pressure or other treatment. They also are composed of multiple parts.
Another example of a treatment device can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,257, which relates to a device having one or more linkable segments, each segment including plural contact elements having one or more peaks. In use, the contact elements can be situated in contact with or in proximity to the wearer.
Another type of pressure application device is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,898. In that device, a “stimulating member” for applying pressure to acupuncture points is rigidly connected to a belt device for keeping the member pressed onto a desired portion of a body.